Your head crowns ¹  you like Mount Carmel. ²  The locks of your hair ³  are like royal tapestries ⁴  – the king is held captive ⁵  in its tresses!

But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you.

When the king extended to Esther the gold scepter, she ¹  arose and stood before the king.

My feet ¹  have followed ²  his steps closely; I have kept to his way and have not turned aside. ³ 

I was stone silent; ¹  I held back the urge to speak. ²  My frustration grew; ³ 

Whenever Moses would raise his hands, ¹  then Israel prevailed, but whenever he would rest ²  his hands, then Amalek prevailed.

But if they are bound in chains, ¹  and held captive by the cords of affliction,

I carefully obey your commands; ¹  I do not deviate from them. ² 

If I say, “My foot is slipping,” your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.

The wicked ¹  will be captured by his ²  own iniquities, ³  and he will be held ⁴  by the cords of his own sin. ⁵ 

None of the rest dared to join them, ¹  but the people held them in high honor. ² 

He was loyal to ¹  the Lord and did not abandon him. ²  He obeyed the commandments which the Lord had given to ³  Moses.

On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had dedicated the altar for seven days and celebrated the festival for seven more days.

and they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap where they are held captive ¹  to do his will. ² 

They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds ¹  regarded him as a prophet.

and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

He caused all their conquerors ¹  to have pity on them.

But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate ¹  him.

It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons. ¹ 

So we worked on, ¹  with half ²  holding spears, from dawn till dusk. ³